The Importance of Politics
Politics is the authoritative and legitimate struggle for limited resources or precious rights and privileges within the context of a government, an economy, or a society. Political science scholars are particularly interested in how these important issues are resolved, and how power is distributed among individuals and groups. Politics can be about something as big as national defense, or as small as who gets to go to the movies.
The key to understanding politics is realizing that it involves choices in the face of constraints and opportunities. The way people choose, or fail to choose, in the face of these constraints and opportunities determines how a polity (or group of polities) functions, whether it be democratic or undemocratic, open or closed, fair or unfair. When the word “politics” is stretched too far, it can become a synonym for everything and anything one can imagine, but this danger is overcome when these broader definitions carefully consider the ways in which politics is already present in all of our daily activities.
For example, when someone goes to a bar to talk about politics with their friends, this is a political activity. Even more, when a politician campaigns for office, that is politics. In the workplace, some people see politicking as scheming and manipulating, while others appreciate that good political skills are necessary for success in any job.
The importance of politics is evident throughout history. In 1532, Niccolo Machiavelli wrote in his book The Prince that whoever wanted to be powerful must understand and master the art of politics. In 1651, Thomas Hobbes developed a theory of society called Leviathan, in which he suggested that humans form societies in order to protect themselves from each other by giving up some of their freedoms in exchange for safety and security.
These ideas about the role of politics in society and in our everyday lives have persisted to this day. For example, political scientist Bernard Crick explains that a government or any other institution in a society needs to use the tools of politics to bring together people’s divergent interests so they can make decisions that satisfy everyone. When institutions are unable to do this, it may lead to a breakdown of trust and even violence.
In the United States, we’re all familiar with how political institutions such as Congress can get bogged down in an endless cycle of partisan squabbles and political brinkmanship that fails to address major national challenges and instead passes them on to future generations. This political stalemate is not new, and it will certainly continue for as long as we continue to be divided along ideological lines.
Politics is everywhere in the world and in all our daily activities, from the way we talk to each other at work or the gym to the way we vote and protest on the streets. In these broader, more inclusive definitions of politics, it’s up to each of us to decide how best to participate in and contribute to our democracy and a world where all voices are heard.
Politics is the authoritative and legitimate struggle for limited resources or precious rights and privileges within the context of a government, an economy, or a society. Political science scholars are particularly interested in how these important issues are resolved, and how power is distributed among individuals and groups. Politics can be about something as big as national defense, or as small as who gets to go to the movies. The key to understanding politics is realizing that it involves choices in the face of constraints and opportunities. The way people choose, or fail to choose, in the face of these constraints and opportunities determines how a polity (or group of polities) functions, whether it be democratic or undemocratic, open or closed, fair or unfair. When the word “politics” is stretched too far, it can become a synonym for everything and anything one can imagine, but this danger is overcome when these broader definitions carefully consider the ways in which politics is already present in all of our daily activities. For example, when someone goes to a bar to talk about politics with their friends, this is a political activity. Even more, when a politician campaigns for office, that is politics. In the workplace, some people see politicking as scheming and manipulating, while others appreciate that good political skills are necessary for success in any job. The importance of politics is evident throughout history. In 1532, Niccolo Machiavelli wrote in his book The Prince that whoever wanted to be powerful must understand and master the art of politics. In 1651, Thomas Hobbes developed a theory of society called Leviathan, in which he suggested that humans form societies in order to protect themselves from each other by giving up some of their freedoms in exchange for safety and security. These ideas about the role of politics in society and in our everyday lives have persisted to this day. For example, political scientist Bernard Crick explains that a government or any other institution in a society needs to use the tools of politics to bring together people’s divergent interests so they can make decisions that satisfy everyone. When institutions are unable to do this, it may lead to a breakdown of trust and even violence. In the United States, we’re all familiar with how political institutions such as Congress can get bogged down in an endless cycle of partisan squabbles and political brinkmanship that fails to address major national challenges and instead passes them on to future generations. This political stalemate is not new, and it will certainly continue for as long as we continue to be divided along ideological lines. Politics is everywhere in the world and in all our daily activities, from the way we talk to each other at work or the gym to the way we vote and protest on the streets. In these broader, more inclusive definitions of politics, it’s up to each of us to decide how best to participate in and contribute to our democracy and a world where all voices are heard.